From Crisis to Ownership - Start with your health [24]

From Crisis to Ownership: Start With Your Health [24]

America's Food Fight: The Hidden Leadership Lessons

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled new federal dietary guidelines last week, backed by the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Heart Association, something remarkable happened. The establishment actually agreed with him.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Figure 1 RFK at the unveiling of new federal dietary guidelines

For years, we’ve watched our food system deteriorate while politicians, regulators, and Big Food looked the other way. We’ve known the truth for a long time: ultra-processed foods, added sugars, and industrial agriculture have been quietly killing more Americans than the opioid crisis ever did. Yet we’ve lacked the political will to do anything about it (Kida reminds me of the war on drugs, but that is for another day).

According to the CDC, the obesity rate in the US was 40% at the end of 2025, up from 13% in 1970, and deaths where diabetes is listed as a cause was 26.4%, up from 14% in 1970.

Kennedy’s guidelines aren’t perfect. He backed away from his more aggressive stance on saturated fats, keeping the 10% cap to avoid looking “activist,” he is a politician after all, to maintain broad support. But here’s what matters: the conversation has finally shifted from the margins to the mainstream.

The story behind the story is instructive for anyone leading through change. Kennedy’s team worked methodically to build an unlikely coalition, holding private meetings with medical groups that had actively opposed him on other issues. They understood something fundamental about transformation: you can’t change the system from outside it. You need allies, even uncomfortable ones.  My business partner, Rita McGrath, excellent Substack. The essential art of smart politics is a great primer on this.

The result? A rare moment of alignment between an unconventional leader and traditional institutions. Even Kennedy’s critics acknowledge, “This is one thing they got right.”

This matters because leadership isn’t about being right in isolation. It’s about creating conditions where change becomes possible. Kennedy’s personal journey from eight Coca-Colas a day to a strict carnivore diet mirrors what many leaders face: recognizing a problem in your own life before you can address it systemically.

Those of you who work with me know the foundation of my P-V-P (Purpose, Vision, Principles) transformation process is health, physical, mental, and emotional.  It all starts there.

The food we eat shapes everything: our energy, our focus, our mood, our longevity, our ability to show up fully for the people who depend on us. You cannot lead with purpose if you’re running on garbage fuel. You cannot create meaningful impact if you’re too tired, too sick, or too foggy to think clearly.

This week’s announcement isn’t the end of the conversation. It’s the beginning. And for leaders at every level, it’s a reminder: the systems we tolerate eventually become the systems that define us. Change requires more than good intentions. It requires the courage to challenge consensus, the patience to build coalitions, and the discipline to align your daily choices with your stated values.

RFK Jr. may have his critics, and they’re not all wrong. But on this issue, at this moment, he’s moved the conversation forward. That’s worth acknowledging.

Be healthy,

Ron

(c) 2025, Ron Boire, and The Upland Group LLC. Lead with Purpose™ and The 51% Rule™ are trademarks of Ron Boire

I help leaders and organizations Lead with Purpose™.

Want to Lead with Purpose™, contact me at ron@uplandgroup.us, ron@valize.com, or connect with me on LinkedIn atlinkedin.com/in/ronboire/ or Twitter @ronboire

Ron partners with senior executives, boards, and leadership teams to create long-term personal and business growth strategies that deliver lasting impact. His work blends 35+ years of leadership experience running businesses as large as $30B with cutting-edge innovation frameworks developed alongside Rita McGrath, one of the world’s top strategic thinkers.

Ron has served as CEO or business unit leader at Sony, Best Buy, Sears Canada, Barnes and Noble, and Brookstone, working with private equity giants such as KKR, Bain Capital, and TH Lee, as well as sovereign wealth funds including Temasek. I’ve learned from both successes and setbacks, and I bring those lessons to the leaders I coach and advise.

Ron also lectures regularly at Columbia Business School and Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management as part of the U.S. Army’s FA59 Strategy Group program.

If you’re looking for a trusted partner to help you and your organization Lead with Purpose™, drive innovation, and achieve measurable results, you can contact me at ron@uplandgroup.us.

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